Asda faces legal challenge over its budget products range

Waitrose has sent a legal challenge to Asda after its Leeds-headquartered rival revealed a similarly-named range of discounted goods.

Asda unveiled its “Just Essentials” range on Monday, which will be an expanded line of low-cost products in all its stores from May.

But Waitrose argues the branding is too similar to its own “Essential Waitrose” range, which has been going since 2009.

Asda counters that “essentials” is a “commonly-used term” for discount product ranges. Its own new value range will replace its current Smart Price range.

Waitrose, which is owned by the John Lewis Partnership, told the BBC it has written to Asda raising trademark concerns and was awaiting a response.

“We were surprised to hear that Asda is launching an essentials range as the Essential Waitrose brand has been in use since 2009 and has built up a strong reputation for value, quality and higher welfare standards in that time,” said a Waitrose spokesman.

“As we’ve also protected the name as a trademark, we have raised this with Asda and are awaiting a response.”

An Asda spokesman said: “The word ‘essentials’ is a generic and commonly used term by retailers to describe their value product ranges.”